Tendring District Council's (TDC) Beach Patrol Staff at Walton sprang into action helping to save the lives of a woman and dog after they had been washed into the sea by massive waves.

The 56-year-old woman - who was staying with her husband in a cottage at The Naze - tried to go to the aid of their 14-year-old Golden Retriever, Stacey, which was trapped in the rough seas just before high tide today at about 11.10am(Saturday March 22).

Just as Senior Beach Patrol Kayleigh Grant went over to the incident she saw the woman get knocked into the water by the waves.

Nigel Speight - who owns a seafront kiosk just feet from where the woman and dog got into trouble - was the first on the scene and Kayleigh followed him into the water.

With further help from Steve Duggan and Nick Key from the Beach Patrol Team they managed to get the woman and the dog to safety.

"We managed to get hold of the woman's hand and drag her out," said Kayleigh, who is in her fourth season with the team.

"Nick threw a line and because the dog had no collar we just got the line round her neck and pulled her out of the sea."

The Beach Patrol offered to call the woman an ambulance but she declined. They got her coat off and wrapped her in blankets until her husband went and got their car and took them home.

"They were very grateful to all of us," added Kayleigh. "They would not have lasted more than 20 minutes in that water on their own. The dog could hardly walk when it got out, it was so cold."

Mr Speight - who has owned the kiosk for about 20 years - said that he had been in his kiosk when he heard someone shouting out.

"I could hear the woman calling to Stacey and she was at the top of the steps," he said. "The next thing I knew she was in the water and we just went in to help them."

Mr Speight said that he had almost decided not to open up because the weather was so bad. It was the first time in the 20 years that he had worked at the site that he had been involved in such a serious incident.

Tim Sutton, TDC's Seafront Manager, said: "Full credit to the team they did a fantastic job. I am very proud of them."

Pierre Oxley, TDC's Leisure Portfolio Holder, said it was a good job that the Beach Patrol Team had started work so early in the year.

"Apparently there were a few comments from people on Good Friday that the team was wasting its time being down there," he said.

"As it turns out it is very fortunate they were on hand with Mr Speight to help save the lives of this woman and her dog. It is fairly likely we could be looking at a tragedy if they had not been there."

Last year the Council's trained staff dealt with 865 incidents of various kinds at Clacton, Frinton and Walton.